Weekly roundup: Ukraine, Sochi, and a nun with a sentence

Here we are, at the end of February, and looking for a glimmer of spring. Just in case you spent a little too much time squinting your eyes looking for warmer weather, this is your weekly roundup.

This week, we start in Ukraine, which exploded this week. Protesters in Kiev clashed mightily with government police. As of the moment that I am writing this, there seems to be a delicate-as-lace accord[1], with actors on all sides remaining skeptical. Let’s hope it holds.

In Arizona, the state legislature passed a bill that allows business owners to refuse service to anyone[4] (read: gay people) because they have a "religious objection." The bill, which the ACLU called "unnecessary and discriminatory" will now go to the desk of Governor Jan Brewer, who has not indicated whether she intends to sign it.

In other entertainment news, the reshaped version of “The Bible” miniseries, called “The Son of God,” has announced that they will not use the actor who played Satan [6]in “The Bible.” The actor, Mohamen Mehdi Ouazanni, bears a striking resemblance to President Obama.

In Japan, respondents to the Vatican’s survey on marriage and family life have responded, and the results are, well, quite frank. According to the NCR[8], “In a sometimes pointed 15-page report issued in preparation for an October meeting of the world's bishops, known as a synod, the Japanese state the church "often falls short" by "presenting a high threshold for entry and lacking hospitality and practical kindness."